Tensile force resistant buckle assembly



1952 H. s. VAN. BUREN, JR 2, ,900

TENSIBLE FORCE RESISTANT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1949 |NVENTOR2 HAROLD S. VAN BUREN JR.,

BY FM 6. PM

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 TENSILE FORCE RESISTANT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Harold S. van Buren, Jr., Cambridge, Mass., as-

signor to United-Carr Fastener'fCorporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 1, 1949, Serial No. 119,105

8 Claims.

This inventionrelates generally to buckles, and has particular reference to a buckle assembly capable of being quickly and easily released while the parts of the buckle are under tension.

The object of the invention is to provide a quick-release buckle assembly comprising a pair of buckle plates adapted to be superimposed and hooked together to resist tensile forces in which the plates are provided with means for snapping engagement to retain the plates in the hooked position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle assembly comprising a pair of superimposed buckle plates having hook means at one end which is releasable by separating the plates at the other end, and a snap fastener half disposed on each plate to permit said other ends to be snapped together.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle assembly comprising a pair of buckle plates which are adapted to be superimposed and hooked together at one end to resist tensile forces and snapped together at the other end to retain the plates in the superimposed position in which the means for snapping the plates together is shiftable in relation to the means for hooking the plates together.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle plate having hook means with a downwardly extending portion to enter an opening in a supporting plate to hook the plates together, in which the buckle plate is provided with hook lifting means to lift the downwardly extending portion out of the opening during disengagement.

Other objects of the inventionwill, in part, be

obvious, and will in part, appear hereinafter. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of a buckle assembly embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the upper buckle plate shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the lower buckle plate shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the component parts of the buckle illustrating the method of assembly and disassembly;

Figs. 6 and 7, are views in elevation of the buckle plates illustrating certain matures of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a buckle assembly having certain modifications within the scope of the'invention.

- Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a buckle assembly [0, which comprises a pair of buc'kleplates l2 and [4 which are adapted to be fastened together in superimposed relation to resist tensile forces imparted thereto by the straps l6 and I8.

The buckle plate l2 comprises a strap receiving slot 20 near one end thereof, a hook member 22 disposed on the other end, and a snap fastener half 24 disposed intermediate the ends. The strap I6 is threaded through the slot, and is conveniently secured therein by being folded back and attached to itself by rivets 26. The hook member 22, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a downwardly extending portion 28 having an outwardly extending tongue portion 30 disposed thereon for engagement with the plate H! in a manner to be hereinafter described. To provide means for lifting the hook out of the opening during disengagement of the plates, a hook liftting tab 32 is provided on each side of the hook member, said tabs 32 extending outwardly from the end of the plate l2 beyond the downwardly extending portion 23 of the hook member.

The buckle plate I4 comprises strap receiving slots 34 disposed at'each end thereof, and a hook receiving slot 36 intermediate the ends, forming .a hook supporting edge 38. A raised portion 40 is provided on .the plate at the edge of the slot opposite the hook supporting edge for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A snap fastener half 42' is disposed on the plate I4 for engagement with the snap fastener half 24 on the plate I2, and in the preferred form is attached to the plate by a rivet 44 disposed in an opening 46 which is sufficiently large to allow the snap fastener half 42 a limited amount of shifting on the plate toward and away from the hook receiving slot 36. The strap i8 is threaded through the slots 34 and across the back of the plate [4 to provide a load supporting portion 48 extending from the end of the plate which has the hook receiving slot, and a hook disengaging portion 50 extending from the other end of the plate. To allow the plates [2 and M to lie substantially parallel when the snap fastener halves are in engagement therebetween,a step 52 is provided in the plate l4 to compensate for the height of the engaged fasteners- Referring now to Fig. 5, the buckle plates are illustratedgin aposition which occurs during both assembly and disassembly of the buckle. To assemble the plates, the hook member 22 of plate I2 is inserted into the slot 36 of plate l4, so that the tongue portion 30 of the hook passes under the portion of the plate I adjacent the edge of the slot. The opposite ends of the plates are then forced together so that the snap fastener halves snap into engagement to retain the plates in superimposed relation. (See Fig. 2.) When a load is applied to the buckle through the straps ii; and IS, the downwardly extending portion 28 of the hook member bears against the hook supporting edge 38 of the plate l4, thereby resisting the tensile forces imparted thereto. Since the snap fastener half 42 is slightly shiftable'on the plate i4, no part of the load applied to the buckle is carried by the snap fastener halves, which might tend to distort them or impairtheir ability to snap into engagement.

The assembled buckle plates may be quickly and easily disengaged while under tension by pulling on the disengaging portion '50 of thestrap 1'8, which unsnaps the snap fastener halves and separates the ends of the plates opposite the book as illustrated in Fig. 5. As the plates are separated, the 'hook'lifting tabs 32 extending from theplate l2 bear against the-surface of the plate 14 and provide a fulcrum about which the plate 12 moves, thereby lifting the downwardly extending portion 28 of the hook out of the slot '36. The tabs 32, by providing a positive lifting action to remove the hook from the slot, make it impossible for :the hook to jam in the opening during disengagement under a heavy load.

As illustrated inFigs. 6 and 7, unless the hook member of plate 12 is properly disposed in the i;

hook receiving opening of plate It, it is impossible to force the snap fastener halves into engagement. For'example in Fig. 6, if "the hook memher is placed againstthe plate I4, the raised portion "416 engages the tongue'portion 30 of the hook and prevents thesnap fastener halves from being aligned for engagement. If the tongue portion 30 is placed on top of the raised portion as illustrated in Fig. the plate W2 is tilted at an angle to the plate M which also prevents engagement of the snap fastener halves.

Referring now to Fig. '8, there is illustrated a buckle embodying certain modifications within the scope of 'the invention. In this form of the device, the plate 14 is provided with only a single strap receiving slot 54, for receiving the load supporting strap '56, and disengaging tongue 58 is provided on the opposite end of the plate l2, which extends upwardly and outwardly from the end 0f the plate. The tongue 58 may be readily grasped by the fingers to unsnap the snap fastener halves and the buckle plates become disengaged in the manner hereinbefore described.

' It will be understood that for large buckles, any desired number of snap fasteners may be provided on the plates, all of which may be made shiftable for the purpose hereinbefore described. The step may be provided on the plate l2 instead of on the plate M, or steps may be provided on both plates with equally satisfactory results. The device is not limited to use with flat straps, as illustrated, but may be used to join any elongated fiexi-ble tension resisting members such as ropes, wires and the like, provided that suitable means are-provided for attaching to the plates.

The device is prticularly adapted for use in applications where a strap or the like must be quickly released while under tension, and it is a characteristic of the device that the amount of tension applied to the buckle does not affect the 4 ability of the buckle to be quickly released by a sharp pull on the disengaging means.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A quick release buckle assembly, comprising apair of buckle plates having strap-receiving means at opposite ends thereof, one of said plates having hook means at one end thereof, the other plate having an opening therein near one end to permit the plates to be hooked together, saidhook means'being shaped and arranged to be released by separating the plates at the ends opposite the vhook-means, each of said plates havinga snap fastener half disposed thereon to permit said ends opposite the hook means to be snapped together, said one plate having a hook- .l-ifti'ng iportion exte'nding from said one end, said hook-lifting .porti'o'n 'bein'gadapted to bear against said otherplate'when the ends opposite the hook means are 'separa'ted'to provide a fulcrum to lift the hook out of the opening.

2. A quick rel'e'as'e buckle assembly, comprising a firs't bu'c'kle-plate having a wide hook disposed on one endthereof, said hook extending downwardly and then outwardly from the end of the plate,'m'eans for receiv-ing' a strap at the other end, and a snap fastener half disposed thereon intermediate the ends, said first'buckle plate being provided'with a ho'o'k lifting tab disposed on each side-of-the'hooksaid tabs extending slightly beyon'd'the downwardly extending portion of the hookjandasecond buckle plate adapted to be assembled with' the first buckle plate in superimposed relation, said second buckle plate having means at on'e' end for receiving a strap, a transverse slo'tfor receiving the hook of the first buokle'plate-toallow the plates to be hooked together 'to resist tensile stresses imparted thereto by the straps, and a snap fastener half assembled thereon for engagement with the snap fastener half on the first' plate, the shape of said hook permitting disengagement from the opening by separating the plates at the ends opposite the hook, said"tabs bearing against 'said second buckle plate when the ends opposite the hook are s'epara'ted to provide a fulcrum to lift said hook outo'f'the'openin'g; said snap fastener halves being adap'tedito retain-said ends opposite the hook means t'ogeth'er, whereby disengagement of the hook when the plates are assembled may be effected only by unsnapping said snap fastener halves;

"3. A'quiek release buckle assembly, comprising a pair of buckle plates having strap-receiving means at opposite ends thereof, one of said plates having hook means atone end thereof, said hook means having a'shea-r resisting portion disposed substantially normal to said one plate and a hook portion at the end of said shear resisting portion extending substantially parallel said one plate laterally outward from said one end, the other plate having :an opening therein near one end to permit the plates to be hooked together and to rovide-surfaces for engaging said shear resisting portion, said hook means being shaped and arranged "to 'be released by separating the plates at the ends opposite the hook means, each of said plates having a snap fastener half disposed thereon to permit said-ends opposite the hook means to be snapped together.

it, A quick release buckle assembly as -'set'forth in claim 3 in which at least one of the plates has an elongated longitudinally extending aperture intermediate the ends thereof and the snap fastener half on said plate having an attaching portion extending through said aperture and securing portions slidably engaging opposite sides of said plate on opposite sides of said aperture to permit said snap fastener half to be longitudi nally shiftable relative to said plate, whereby shear forces applied to the buckle assembly will be carried only by the shear resisting portion of the hook means, and the surfaces for engaging the shear resisting portion.

5. A quick release buckle assembly in accordance with claim 3 in which the plate having an opening near one end to permit the plates to be hooked together has a tongue extending upwardly therefrom on the face on which the snap fastener half is disposed and adjacent the side edge of the opening therein opposite the snap fastener half, said tongue being spaced from said snap fastener half a distance less than the distance between the snap fastener half of the other plate and the free end of the hook portion of said other plate, whereby the snap fastener halves of said plates are prevented from engaging each other when the free end of said hook portion engages said tongue.

6. A quick release buckle assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the tongue extending upwardly from the plate having an opening to permit the plates to be hooked together is of such length as to cause when said tongue is engaged with the hook portion of the hook means of the other plate a substantial tilting of said other It.

hook means having a downwardly extending portion adapted to enter an opening in a support plate and to engage an edge of such opening under the tension of opposed shear forces applied to such buckle assembly and a hook portion extending laterally outwardly from the end of said downwardly extending portion opposite said plate and substantially parallel thereto, said hook means being adapted to enter said opening in such a support plate to hook the plates together and to be released by separating the buckle plate from the support plate at the end opposite the hook means, and hook lifting means disposed on said one end of said buckle plate, said hook lifting means extending from said one end beyond the outer end of said hook portion of said hook means to bear against the support plate during disengagement of the hook means to provide a fulcrum to lift the hook means out of the opening.

8. A buckle plate for a buckle assembly as set forth in claim 7 in which the hook lifting means comprises tabs disposed on each side of the hook means extending outwardly from the buckle plate beyond the outer end of the hook portion of the hook means.

HAROLD S. VAN BUREN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,047,376 Brynteson Dec. 7, 1912 1,381,690 Baer June 14, 1921 1,381,691 Baer June 14, 1921 1,437,333 Baer Nov. 28, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 83,720 Austria Apr. 25', 1921 

